On Feb. 12, one of many events celebrating Black History Month on campus took place at Afrikan Heritage House. Titled, “Hairitage: Our Stories, Our Power Panel,” the event was hosted by the Multicultural Resource Commons and provided a space for Black students to discuss their identities and community at Oberlin. 

Four panelists of varying backgrounds were invited to participate in the conversation: Chinenye Nkemere, CROWN Act advocate and Project Noir co-founder; Dr. Meredith Gadsby, chair of Africana Studies and associate professor of Comparative American Studies; Maya Akinfosile, multicultural specialist and staff psychologist; and College third-year Aurora Gray, outreach coordinator for Sisters of the Yam, an affinity space for Black women and femme-identifying individuals at Oberlin. The panel was facilitated by Assistant Dean for Intercultural Engagement and Director of the MRC Kimberly Springer. The dialogue was mainly centered on the experience of growing up and living with Black hair and highlighting the differences people might encounter, while also emphasizing the beauty of Black hair and the freedom one can find despite various forms of discrimination.

When thinking of how she wanted to celebrate Black History Month at Oberlin, Springer sought to create a space that truly spread joy and promoted inclusivity.

“I wanted to think about what we can talk about contemporarily that impacts students in their day-to-day lives, something that will be more tangible, and also give them space to express how they may have things in common with other students,” she said.

Gadsby shared a similar sentiment regarding the goal of this discussion and her decision to participate in the panel.

“There are so many kinds of assaults on Black personhood, in so many ways, that I enjoy opportunities to be able to talk about joy,” Gadsby said. “The opportunity to talk about hair, something that might seem kind of mundane and really simple … holds a lot of power because the associations that so many have with our hair, outside of the community, can often be very negative.”

The panelists shared a similar perspective on why they sought to participate in such a discussion and how creating a space can be impactful for those who have suffered discrimination because of any aspect of their being.

Gray emphasized the importance of community, particularly for those who have faced discrimination.

“There’s a community here for you [of] people who have experienced the exact same thing as you, if not really similar things, and that you can find comfort in that there are people who are like you,” she said.

While the panel was not limited to the topic of hair, the lived experience with Black hair was certainly the jumping board for a multi-dimensional conversation that touched on all aspects of Black life, such as various societal expectations, specifically Western beauty standards, and how beauty has become and has always been capital in Eurocentric spheres. Another major topic touched upon during the event was white desire to be in proximity to Blackness and control Black identity, which the panelists wanted to reshape the thinking around. They emphasized that one’s Black identity cannot be at all controlled or policed by others; it belongs to the Black person alone.

Even though this event was not explicitly intended to be political, the discussion turned to recent legislation relating to Black hair. Recently, the CROWN Act, legislation that protects Black Americans from discrimination based on their hair, has been passed in Cuyahoga County. While similar legislation has not yet been passed more locally, there remains a chance that such policies could be enacted in Lorain County down the line. 

Springer, very familiar with the recent legislation passed in Cuyahoga County, hopes that such policies will be put in place more locally.

“This is really starting the conversation that you can’t discriminate [based] on your hair,” Springer said. “I think there is still a lot of work [to be done]. In this current political climate, it is more important than ever to bring these voices to the forefront and provide support.”